"We are not here to sell a parcel of boilers and vats, but the potentiality of growing rich beyond the dreams of avarice."
-- Dr. Samuel Johnson

Dear Friend of the Theatre,
As part of the downsizing of the Midtown International Theatre Festival, we are offering our considerable stock of rehearsal cubes, folding chairs, folding tables, and blacks for sale to the theatre community. We will consider all offers but reserve the right to accept any or none. The following list is fairly comprehensive, but there may be some variations due to inventory shrinkage.

Here are the rules for this transfer of property:
1. You have to choose all or nothing in each category. If you get too many cubes, tables, or whatever, it's your problem to get rid of the excess. Our motto is, Everything must go!
2. You have to figure out how much you want to pay for everything in a category. Adding up all the categories you want gives you the total price we expect you to pay.
3. Be prepared to pay a deposit of 10% of your total, by PayPal and in advance.
4. If a category ends up having less items than listed above (say, 30 instead of 35 cubes), we'll prorate the price accordingly. If there are more items then advertised, you get the excess for free (whether you want them or not).
5. Bring a vehicle to the storage space to pick up your stuff.
6. We'll bring the items out of the storage unit for a brief inspection. Then cash changes hands, and the items take off on their next spin around the universe.
7. All items are offered as-is, where-is. Please don't ask us to follow up with maintenance issues.
To sign up for all or some of this priceless theatrical inventory, just send me an Email listing the categories you want to bid on and how much you want to spend. We'll let you know if we want to sell them to you, then set up a date when we can empty the storage unit and move on. BE PREPARED TO PAYPAL US A DEPOSIT OF 10% OF THE AMOUNT YOU OWE. IF YOU DON'T SHOW UP ON AUCTION DAY, YOU LOSE YOUR DEPOSIT AND WE GET RID OF YOUR DESIRED EQUIPMENT THE QUICKEST WAY WE CAN -- IN THE DUMPSTER (or maybe to another bidder, if they want your stuff). Feel free to copy/paste the table below into your Email, then fill in the blanks.

On looking back over 18 seasons of the MITF, I have many memories, most of them good, some not so much, and some hilarious. But I've had some reverses in recent years that have forced me to hang up the gloves. Hence, this retirement memo.
When you get to be 71, you accumulate a few dings on your person -- with some people, more dings than others, some dings going deeper than others. When you start to feel like my first car, a '65 Dodge Dart (this was in '79), you know it's time to re-evaluate your priorities.
The financial situation has also grown more parlous. When I started the MITF (in 2000), I was making $65 an hour as a tech writer on Wall Street. Now I'm on Social Security. I can no longer underwrite the Festival budget out of my own pocket.
(A few years ago I moved back to Massachusetts, for personal reasons, and the strains of commuting to NYC also take their toll.)
The last straw was recent lawsuit. It was one of those cases where you're damned if you win and damned if you lose, because either way you have to pay legal costs.
I have lots of energy and ideas left. Also an increasing urge to travel the world, starting with a farewell tour (in a much better car) down the East Coast to Florida. So, as the Governator said, "I'll be b-a-a-a-c-k!"
Thank you, New York, for giving my life meaning for 24 years. Thank you for the opportunity to serve that occasionally fickle muse, the Theatre, in all the roles I've experienced. Good luck and God bless. We'll be in touch!

John Chatterton
Executive Producer, MITF

"Thank you so so much for having JULIE be a part of MITF this fall. Our experience with promotion, tech, & communication was really amazing and I’m still so grateful for how easy and fun you’ve made" – Eddie Shields, Writer & Director of JULIE [MITF: Fall, 2016] / "The Actual Dance participation in the 2013 Midtown International Theatre Festival served as the launching pad for the show in a way that I could not imagine. Through MITF we were introduced to experienced production professionals, as well as many people who work in New York theater. We have since had the chance to perform in Theatre Row for a month long run and are now touring. The participation in MITF opened a new horizon for a relatively new work and two years later we continue to feel the energy from that experience." –Sam Simon, THE ACTUAL DANCE/ "We had a wonderful time working with you and being a part of the MITF"–Hinton Battle LOVE
LIES – TREAT HER LIKE A LADY, 2012. / "Thank you for selecting my play for inclusion in your festival. Participating in the festival was a valuable opportunity to have a play produced in a feasible, expedient manner, and in a high-profile festival as well." – Jack Wernick DESTINATION WEDDING, MITF 2012. / "Thanks for including CORRECTION in this year's MITF Short Subjects. We had a blast, as always. You really know how to throw a festival." – Ronnie & Jane / "The MITF was a really great place for me in my earlier years to develop new material"–Carlo D'Amore Creative Director/LiveINTheater.com/ "The people at MITF were easy to work with and the structure of the festival is conducive to keeping costs in line. As such, it's an excellent setting to develop new work." – Jeremy Handelman